Betung bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) is a promising material with high economic value due to its fast-growing and high mechanical strength. Unfortunately, its high starch content makes it vulnerable to infestation by powderpost beetle (Dinoderus minutus), reducing its durability. This study aims to analyze the natural durability of betung bamboo against powderpost beetle attacks by evaluating its starch content, differences in stem position, and the effectiveness of boiling and dry heating treatment. Samples from the bottom, middle, and top sections of betung bamboo aged 3–4 years were subjected to starch content analysis with the Anthrone method. Starch reduction was carried out by boiling the samples in hot water, followed by dry heating in a temperature-controlled oven for 2–6 hours, while the resistance test was conducted by exposing the samples to powderpost beetle colonies for three months. The results revealed that the starch content was strongly influenced by stem position, with the middle section showing the highest value. The boiling and dry heating treatment effectively reduced the starch content by up to 21% and increased resistance to beetle attacks, resulting in a 2%–6% weight loss reduction. These findings show that starch content influences bamboo resistance, and the significant reduction in weight loss (p < 0.05) reflects a meaningful improvement in durability according to classification standards. Furthermore, boiling bamboo can be recommended as an environmentally friendly and simple method for small-scale industries to extend the service life of bamboo.
NURHASANAH et al. (Sun,) studied this question.